Blog

According to an author for the Harvard Business Review, 70 decibels of background noise may actually enhance our creative thinking ability. Moderation is the key with listening--but at 70 decibels, everything seems right.

The author explains that a coffee shop, for example, might be more conducive to creativity than an office. David Burkas examined how background noise levels affect creativity. Noise that is not too loud but not too soft, either, seems to be the best.

The study concluded that between silence and a range of decibel levels that everything was statistically insignificant, except for 70 decibels. At 70 decibels, these groups outperformed other groups with creativity. Noise can be good, but watch out for anything 85 decibels and louder.